www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

In Europe, Danaids are rare. In India there are many species and they are among the commonest butterflies. On my trip, the blue tiger (Tirumala limniace) was by far the most numerous species, both in the North and in the South. In the heat of the day I found it gathering in sometimes considerable numbers in the shade (the brown one is a common crow, Euploea core):







These body-less wings (I arranged them) suggest a bird had foolhardily tried one. It probably didn't go for any more after that, as all the species in this group are toxic, I think. They don't kill - but birds try them, get sick, and learn to avoid similar things in the future.



Here is a common crow - a beautiful butterfly despite its apparently drab appearance in flight. These seemed happy to share communal roosts with blue tigers. These photos were taken in Mysore.





Plain tigers cruised around in smaller numbers, but commonly. This one was in the cemetery in Kolkata where my grandfather is buried:





The American/European monarch (Danaus plexippus) doesn't fly in India but a closely related species, the striped tiger (Danaus genutiae) does. I didn't get any good photo-ops with this species, but here's a record shot of one that settled briefly in the grass:



In general, these large butterflies were far harder to photograph than the small ones, especially as I had so little time and so much to do. I was lucky to get a brief photo-op with this tawny coster (Acraea violae) in central Kolkata:





This is a species commonly found in butterfly farms, I think. It was lovely to see it flying around in the wild!

Guy

Excellent!

I agree. And I bet your grandfather was looking down on you with a great big smile on his face.

Cheers,

- Pete

Here he is, at rest in the military cemetery in Kolkata:



He is closely guarded by an Indian crow...



... and visited by wonderful butterflies, like this common jay:



Meanwhile, my great grandfather, the Reverend W.H.G. Padfield, looks down from church walls at the other end of the country, in Ooty in the Nilgiri Hills:



The special butterfly there is the Nilgiri clouded yellow, endemic to the Western Ghats:



But I must get back to processing the rest of my pictures - and not just of the butterflies:


(some more of my ancestors)

Guy

Great pics and story.
The Padfields still stride India from North to South...
(I'm sure I saw one of Jack's ancestors too in the background in that last one )
N

Nick:

(I'm sure I saw one of Jack's ancestors too in the background in that last one )

I think only on the “in-law” side. That Alpha Female does bear a striking resemblance to .... well, shall we say someone very closely related to my wife.

Jack

Wonderful stuff Guy!

Cheers

Lee

Wonderful pics and story Guy!

Jack Harrison wrote:Nick:

(I'm sure I saw one of Jack's ancestors too in the background in that last one )

I think only on the “in-law” side. That Alpha Female does bear a striking resemblance to .... well, shall we say someone very closely related to my wife.
Jack

Now you mention it - true to her character, one of my (ex) relations is making off with some poor tourist's wallet back left...

Guy.

Thanks for sharing the experiences.

I had it said that when people try to photograph wildlife in India, they are often besieged (perhaps annoyingly) by hordes of onlookers, especially children. Did you find this interest in what you were doing? (or trying to do)

That Acraeia is widespread. I have seen in the extreme southern end of the Maldives just 40 miles south of the Equator. (Hithadhoo or alternative spelling)

Jack

Hi Jack. I never got off the beaten track and was usually in or near a busy town, so yes, there were a lot of people around. For the most part, I stuck to (Christian) cemeteries, where I was left entirely unpestered, paying parks and gardens, and restricted entry parks (the Eaden Park in Kolkata has no entry fee but you have to get past a gateman and get a 'ticket' from him, presumably to stop hawkers and mendicants destroying the peace of the gardens). In the parks children did often come up to me, with cries of 'What is your name?', 'From where are you?' and 'What is your purpose?', usually spoken as if practising English. This lost me quite a few photos of grass yellows, which hang around the hedges by paths, and one or two blues, but was not a major problem. After I'd been round a park or garden two or three times I would move on, so as not to draw too much attention to myself - I could tell when I was getting 'noticed'. However, since my camera is a tiny, discreet compact, I didn't look like a photographer anyway. Just a bit weird.

This little family was desperate to be photographed. I have no idea why, as they made no attempt to give me details about how to get the photo to them.



I thanked them and moved on. It's most improbable they browse UK Butterflies or Guy Padfield's Butterfly Pages, so I suspect they'll never see their portrait.

Guy

In about twelve or fourteen year’s time, when you are on the phone to your friendly local bank, you’ll have to ask: “Were you that young man I photographed with your two sisters in 2010?”

So it should be easy to get in touch

Jack